Helicopter



Sept. 1945. s. APOSTOLESCU 2,384,445

HELICOPTER Filed Jan. 25. 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I n m"...

INVENQTOR.

- 61979": gooszalzscu 8 ATWRNY Sept. 11,1945.

S. APOSTOLESCU HELICOPTER Filed Jan. 25, 1943 Jig Q26 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 11, 1945 lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE HELICOPTER Stefan Apostolescu, New ,York, N. Y. Application January 25, 1943, Serial No. 473,461

I (Cl. 244-17) 2 claims;

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a helicopter.

More specifically, the invention proposes the construction of an airplane characterized by a stream-lined body provided with helicopter rotors each of which includes a rotative drum carrying a plurality of helicopter blades and a means for rotating the drums forming the required lifting force for getting the device into the air.

Still further it is proposed to pivotally mount each of the helicopter blades upon its respective drum and provide a means forpivoting the blades in a manner to increaseand decrease the lifting power of the helicopter rotors in accordance with the weight being carried.

A further object of the invention proposes the provision of disc-like cams within the drums of the helicopter rotors for turning the blades as the drums are rotated in a manner to vary their pitch for producing a forward thrust when desired.

It is a further object of this invention to construct a helicopter rotor which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In h mp nying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a helicopter constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line l'l of Fig. 3. i

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional viewtaken substantially on the line 6-5 of Fig. 3.

The helicopter, according to this invention, includes a stream-lined body It provided with a plurality of helicopters I I Each of the helicopter rotors H is alike in construction and each comprises a hollow drum l9 rotatively resting upon bearings mounted in a depression 2! formed on the top wall of the stream-lined body It. A compartment is formed upon the top of the hollowdrum llby pivotally supporting a dome-shaped wall 22 upon the drum is by means of hinges 23. Parachutes are adapted to be stored within the compartment formed by the dome-shaped wall Hand a means not shown on the drawings is provided for opening the dome-shaped wall 22 to free the parachutes in case of an emergency to safely lower the airplane to the ground.

A vertical hollow shaft 24 extends from the hollow drum [9 and projects through a supporting bushinglfi formed in the depression 2| of the stream-lined body [0. Ball bearings 26 are located between the adjacent faces 01 the hollowouter ends of the shafts I! carry bevel gears 23 which mesh with bevel gears 30 mounted upon the bottom end of the hollow shafts 24 of the hollow drums IS). The inner ends of the shafts 2'! carry bevel gears 3| which bevel gears 32 mounted upon shafts 33 which extend from motors 34. The motors are supported upon brackets 35 which are attached to the ceiling of the stream -lined body Ill. The shafts 33 other and one has a reduced section 36 engaging freely into a complementary opening formed in the. other so that each acts as abearing for the other. The motors at are designed to rotate their shafts 33 in opposite directions so that the bevel gears 3| may mesh and bedriven by each of the bevel gears 32.

Bevel gears 31 mesh with opposite sides of the bevel gears 30 and are mounted on shafts 38. The shafts 38 are rotatively supported in bearings 33 attached to the ceiling of the stream-lined body II. The outer ends of the shafts 38 connect and are provided for the with motors 40 supported in brackets 4| also attached to the ceiling of the stream-lined body It.

Manually operable clutches 42 are mounted in the shafts 21 and 38 intermediate of their ends purpose of causing the hollow drums Is to be driven by the motors 34 or the motors 40. More specifically, as the clutches 42 on the shafts 21 are closed, while the clutches 42 on the shafts 38 are open, the hollow drums l9 will be driven by the motors 34. However,

in the event something goes wrong with either ofthe motors 34, or if it should become desirable to drive the hollow drums l3 by the'motors 40 for any other reason, it is merely necessary to open the clutches .42 on the shafts 21 and close the clutches 42 on the shafts 3!. The bevel gears mesh with spaced of the motors 34 extend towards each tom ends of the rods 35 of the hollow drums I8 will be now connected with the motors 40 to be driven independently.

Helicopter blades 43 are projected radially from the hollow drums l and are tumably and rotatively supported thereon. More specifically, each helicopter blade is normally supported through a bearing (not illustratedon the drawings) mounted on the walls of the hollowed bodies is. pivoted vertically and at the same time permit them to be turned slightly about their longitudinal axes.

A tubular rod 45 is vertically slidably extended through the tubular shaft 34 and a solid rod 45 is concentrically extended through the tubular rod 45. Vertically spaced horizontal disc-like cams 41 are mounted upon the top ends of the rods 45 and 45 within the hollow drums is. The rods 45 and 45 are retained againstrotating as will be hereinafter described, permitting the hollow drums l5 to rotate freely thereabout so the inner end of the radial helicopter blades 43 will move in a circular path adjacent the peripheral edges oi the disc-like cams 41. As shown in Fig. 5 each of the disc-like cams 41 is formed with a recessed c'am surface 48. The cam surfaces of each of the disc-like earns 41 are ar- The bearings permit the blades 43 to be streamlined body that ranged diametrically opposite each other and the inner end of each of the helicopter blades 43 is formed with an inwardly directed arm 45 for each of the disc-like cams 41. The arms or each or the helicopter blades 43 are arranged substantially superimposed one onthe other and has its free inner end disposed above the cam-like reclass". The inner end of the arms 45 are provided with rollers 55 disposed to roll on the top face of the cam 41 and engage the cam-like recesses 45 for the purpose of causing the inner end or the radial helicopter blades 43 to be moved to mimic the shape of the recessed earns 45. It will thus be understood that it one or the cam recesses 43 of one of the cam-like discs 41 is formed with a slight depression, as shown in Fig. 5, it will cause its respective arm to be moved downwards, but if the disc engaged by one other arm of the particular helicopter blade is not formed with a depression, the depression will cause a slight twisting or turning in the helicopter blade 43 as permitted by the thrust bearing 44 to vary the pitch angle of the blades, producihg a forward thrust when desired.

Means is provided for holding the rods 45 and 45 against turning, as previously mentioned, and for permitting the rods to be selectively raised for pivoting the blades 43 about the thrust bearing 44. This means comprises which have one set or arms attached to the bot- 45 and 45 and which are extended in opposite directions from the rods 45 and 45. The L-shaped arms 5! have another set of arms directed vertically upwards and threadedly extended into rotatively supported bushings 52'. These bushings 52 are rotatively supported on brackets 53 extended between the tubular por-, tions 25 and the ceiling of the stream-lined body Hi. The engagement of the arms of the L-shaped members 5| with the bushings 52 will retain the rods 45 and 45 against turning. i

Means is also provided for turning the bushings L-shaped arms 5| 52 to cause the threadedly engaged portions of the bushings 42 and the L-l'shaped arrns 5| to move relative to each other to move the rods 45 pivoting the helicopter blades 43. This means comprises pulleys 54 mounted on the top end of the bushings 52 and over which belts 55 are extended. Opposite areas of the belts 55 are engaged over similar pulleys 55 mounted on rotatively supported shafts 51. The shafts 51 are rotatively supported upon the ceiling of the Hi and are provided at their bottom ends with handles 58 by which they may be turned for in turn rotating the bushings 52, causing the L-shaped arms 5| to move upwards or downwards, depending upon the direction in which the bushings have been turned.

The bushings 52 must all be rotated as a unit causing the rods 45 and 45 to move upwards and downwards together.

The operation of this device is as follows:

Normally, the helicopter rotors II are adapted to be driven by the motors 34 in their arcuate path for producing a forward thrust to lift the stream-lined body Ill substantially vertically upwards and propel the air after it has attained a desired flying height. As the helicopter blades 43 are rotated by the rotative motion of the hollow drums IS the movement of the blades 43 about the disclike cams 41 will cause the blades 43 to be twisted slightly by depressions in the cam recesses 55 to twist the blades slightly when desired on the rearward motion of the blade to increase the forward thrust of the helicopter. If it is found that the load carried by the streamelined body is so great that the normal position of the helicopter blades 43 are insufllcient to produce the desired lift to get the stream-lined body of! the ground,

it is possible to adjust the angular portion of the blades 43 to increase their lifting capacity; This is accomplished by moving the rods 45 and 45 either vertically upwards or downwards, depending whether the blades to be raised or lowered, and this is accomplished by rotating the shafts 51 through the medium of the handles 55.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as delined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I drum and mounted through the sides of said drum to turn about their longitudinal axes and pivot in a vertical plane, a pair of substantially superimposed arms mounted on the inner end of each of said blades, 'a pair of concentric rods extending into said drum and being vertically slidable but not rotative, a pair of vertically spaced horizontal disc-like cams mounted on said rods and engaging said arms for turning said blades to vary their pitch for producing a forward thrust when desired, and means for raising and lowering said rods relative'to each other to turn said blades on their longitudinal axes or for raising and lowering said rods in unison to pivot said blades about transverse axes.

2. In a helicopter, a body, a hollow drum rotatively supported on said body to turn on a vertical axis. blades projecting radially from said drum and mounted through the sides of said drum to turn about their longitudinal axes and the same forwardly throughforward thrust when desired, and means for raising and lowering said rods relative to each other to turn said blades on their longitudinal axes or for raising and lowering said rods in unison to pivot said blades aibout transverse axes, said lattermentioned means comprising L-shaped members having one set of arms attached to said rods and another set of arms directed vertically upwards and threadedly engaging rotative bushings, and means for turning said bushings for moving said L-shaped members to similarl move said rods.

S'I'EFAN APOSTOLESCU. 

